The Vancouver City Council holds a workshop April 22, to discuss A Stronger Vancouver. Nathan Howard/The Columbian files
A community commons space is coming to the Fourth Plain corridor after the Legislature awarded Vancouver an $800,000 grant.
Working in partnership with the Vancouver Housing Authority, the city is still looking for a suitable space along East Fourth Plain Boulevard. Once selected, they’ll break ground on the multi-use development, including the ground-floor commons and 50 upstairs apartments.
The plan for the commons includes a commercial kitchen incubator, a central workspace, a shared public event and education room, and an outdoor space for a satellite Vancouver Farmers Market.
The commons would mark a big step for Fourth Plain Forward, a multiyear city plan to improve the portion of Vancouver from around Interstate 5 to Northeast 65th Avenue by strengthening small businesses, beautifying the district and making roads safer.
In presenting the project to the Vancouver City Council on Monday afternoon, economic development planner Andrea Pastor said the commons will serve as an equitable development hub for the entire Fourth Plain corridor.
“This legislative session, we applied for a capital grant from the state of Washington, and last week we learned that the city of Vancouver has been awarded $800,000 for design and construction,” Pastor said.
The commons had support from Gov. Jay Inslee, as well as Sen. Annette Cleveland, D-Vancouver, and Rep. Sharon Wylie, D-Vancouver.
“Senator Cleveland in particular was a huge champion of this project, and she brought other state senators down to visit the area and meet with business owners and residents,” Pastor said.
The commercial kitchen incubator is a cornerstone of the plan. Backers hope the facility will foster a pipeline of qualified employees ready to serve in the food sector, Pastor said.
The commons is still in early planning stages, and the city intends to launch an outreach process for local residents and businesses to provide input. To find out more now, or to get involved in the project, contact Pastor at 360-487-7947 or andrea.pastor@cityofvancouver.us.
“We are very excited to be able to move this important project forward,” Community Economic Development Department Director Chad Eiken said in a media release. “Construction of the Fourth Plain Community Commons will go a long way in helping us reach our economic development goals for the Fourth Plain corridor and create a growth pipeline for local small businesses and start-ups.”
